“I’m going to get into it next season though!” declared Jerry, while Ned and Bob echoed his words. “It’s great!”
This was on one of the occasions when Boxwood Hall played an old-time rival and won in a hard-fought battle. Another time she was not so successful, and lost to a college she had always beaten.
“But if we win from the military academy, I won’t have any regrets,” declared Ted Newton. “That’s the bunch I want to beat!”
“You’re going to get yours all right to-night,” was the word passed to Ned, Bob and Jerry one afternoon, following a lecture on zoology.
“Well, we’ll take all that’s coming,” said Bob. “We’ve got to expect it, I suppose.”
“And you may get more than you expect,” the informer went on.
It was rather a rough hazing, for our heroes were hauled out of their rooms by a crowd of the sophomores, headed by Frank Watson, and made to do all sorts of ridiculous things, one of which was to stand in the public square in Fordham and eat cream puffs and chocolate eclaires with their hands tied behind their backs.
Then, in this state, with smeared faces, they were obliged to appear at a moving picture show, marching up and down the aisles while the lights were turned up.
As a climax they were ducked in the campus fountain basin and then pelted with more or less over-ripe fruits and vegetables as they were allowed to return to their rooms.
“Whew!” gasped Bob, “we are some sights.”
They were indeed, their suits being ruined. But they had taken the precaution to wear old ones, thanks to the tip.
“Well, I’m glad it’s over,” remarked Jerry.
“Same here,” added Ned. “And when our boat comes we’ll have some good times to make up for this hazing.”
The _Neboje_ arrived and was launched on Lake Carmona. The possession of the motor boat brought new friends to our heroes, and they took many of their college chums on short cruises, once remaining out all night because of engine trouble when they reached the upper end of the lake.
Proctor Thornton had it in mind to punish severely the luckless ones, but when Jerry explained matters, and when Professor Snodgrass had put in a good word for the boys they were excused, but warned not to take such chances again.
“Say, fellows, don’t you want to join the Bang-Ups?” asked George Fitch one day of Ned, Bob and Jerry. This was when George had been taken out for a motor boat ride.